Author: Don Trubshaw

Don Trubshaw is a co-founder of the website Societal Values. He has a PhD in the philosophy and sociology of education and teaches in Higher Education.

Equity Explained, Part 3: A Return to Fairness

Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images

As outlined in part 2 of this essay, equity as part of the EDI agenda represents a thoroughly dishonest and dangerous process of institutional capture, which subverts the historical trend of the rising freedom and empowerment of individuals, but also dissolves the natural bonds of affinity and sociality between individuals in organisations by a subtle… Continue reading Equity Explained, Part 3: A Return to Fairness

Equity Explained, Part 2: The Misdirecting Hand

Misguidance in business.

“I think that there’s a lot of people more concerned about being precisely, factually, and semantically correct than about being morally right.” (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US congressional representative and activist) Equity is defined as the quality of being fair and impartial (OED). As such it is uncontroversial and clearly a good thing, something we should all… Continue reading Equity Explained, Part 2: The Misdirecting Hand

Equity Explained, Part 1: The Promise and Problems of Equality

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” (George Orwell, Animal Farm) A new wind, balmy and soothing, is blowing through the halls of academe, the corporate world and civil society generally. Its name is equity, diversity and inclusion, frequently known by the acronym EDI. Its very suggestive reasonableness – even… Continue reading Equity Explained, Part 1: The Promise and Problems of Equality

The Stars at Night, Episode 51: Cosmic Symmetries

HelloandwelcometoanotherliveepisodeofTheStarsatNightwithmePatrickMoore. Myguestthiseveningisnotwithusinbody [S**t, Patrick] butverymuchinmind. ThereasonisduetothecutsattheBBC – tofundwokehistoricalre-enactments [Cut, for f**k’s sake] – thatthespacededicatedtoscienceprogrammes istoosmalltofit hisentourage. No, it’snotBrianMay, whoiswithusinthestudio (althoughwedon’thavemuchroom formuchelsethanme, [Right] Brianandhishair), buttheheir [Groan] toNewton, thepresentLucasianProfessorofMathematicsatCambridgeUniversity, Professor Stephen Hawking, whojoinsusonline. WelcomeStephen ………..It’s-a-pleasure-to-be-here-Patrick Youareofcoursefamousforthebook ABriefHistoryofTime, which, I understand, tieswithUlyssesasbeingthemostpopularbookthatnoonehasread [S**t, Patrick] ……….Yes-that-is-correct……….the-nature-of-time-is-very-complex……….very-few-people-understand-it……….perhaps-only-Einstein-and-myself-have-understood-it Andyet youwroteabest-sellingbookaboutit ……….Well-Patrick…………I-needed-a-way-to-fund-my-entourage-and-addiction-to-advanced-voice-simulation-technology…………Ha ha! Stephen, can I ask you a question? ……….Yes-Brian……….By-the-way-my-wives-and-I-enjoyed-your-series-on-Wonders-of-the-Universe Er,… Continue reading The Stars at Night, Episode 51: Cosmic Symmetries

Collectivism and the Intolerability of Uncertainty

Collectivism is back in fashion at the moment, particularly with the young in the West, who have no experience of living in collectivist societies and who are a generation or two removed from the experience of their effects in the political sphere, and also with those who are enamoured of the moral kudos that comes… Continue reading Collectivism and the Intolerability of Uncertainty

Emancipation with a Clenched Fist: A Critique of Postmodern Critical Theory

At a time when we are encouraged to nod through policies embedding “diversity, inclusion and equality” in our places of work and subject to their ubiquitous manifestation in our entertainment industries, few recognise that this is not the spontaneous and organic growth of the desire of the mass of ordinary people but the outcome of… Continue reading Emancipation with a Clenched Fist: A Critique of Postmodern Critical Theory

The Bureaucratic and Authoritarian Implications of “The Science”

One of the victims of covid and the reactions to the pandemic, has been the reputation of science. This is best summed up in the slogan which emerged during the pandemic, the admonition to “FOLLOW THE SCIENCE!”, which was parroted by scientifically semi-literate pundits whenever anyone had the temerity to question the official version on… Continue reading The Bureaucratic and Authoritarian Implications of “The Science”

The Imperfect Paradise: Narratives of Ordinary Life and the Incursion of Evil

“The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” (Hannah Arendt, The Life of the Mind, 1977) The problem of evil is one of the oldest problems in human thought. Every religion and many philosophical systems have contended with its nature and… Continue reading The Imperfect Paradise: Narratives of Ordinary Life and the Incursion of Evil

Book Review: Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay, “Cynical Theories: How Universities Made Everything about Race, Gender and Identity – and Why This Harms Everybody”

It tells us something when a potential reviewer of a book is warned that so doing could spell the end of their academic career, or when a scheduled lecture or guest speaker is cancelled  because students declare themselves unsafe while threatening violent disruption, or the plug is pulled on important research because one person feels… Continue reading Book Review: Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay, “Cynical Theories: How Universities Made Everything about Race, Gender and Identity – and Why This Harms Everybody”